#  LA and Philly: A Tale of Two Bus Shelters

     Details    Marielle Mondon   ![logo](https://mail.citywatchla.com//templates/ja_teline_v/images/logo.png)         October 29 2015       [ARCHIVE](https://mail.citywatchla.com/archive)   - [  Previous Article **Absentee Ballot Promo for Calabasas City Council Race Raises Serious Questions and … a Few Eyebrows!** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9864:absentee-ballot-promo-for-calabasas-city-council-race-raises-serious-questions-and-a-few-eyebrows&catid=16)
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> ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2015/088n.png)WHILE WAITING FOR THE BUS--As the “dewonkification” of the term “infrastructure” marches forward in America, the humble bus shelter has been getting more and more love.
>
> (Hey, they’re cheaper to “fix” than bridges.) Whether turned into [public art projects](https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/public-art-bus-stops-photos) or deemed an [essential ingredient of family-friendly cities,](https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/playgrounds-public-transportation-cities-family-friendly) that sidewalk spot where commuters wait for the bus is a very tangible element of urban transportation — visible to those who don’t even want a ride.
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> This month, two very different cities have taken two different routes to elevating their bus shelters.
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> In Philadelphia, some riders could soon have their wait surrounded by digital ads — but not information about when the next bus is due. Though 600 new shelters (citizens are being [asked to vote](http://www.phillytransitshelters.com/%20) on where exactly they’ll go) are designed to be more welcoming shields from the elements, some critics are less than dazzled by the digitization.
>
> The city has contracted with an advertising firm to fund the update (about $21,000 each), and an ad revenue-sharing agreement should bring in some extra cash. But because the region’s transportation authority, SEPTA, is using an older radio-based system, there won’t be useful displays of bus arrival times. Even if a new cellular system is brought online in the future, connecting that data to the shelters isn’t a sure thing.
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> “We’re building state-of-the-art shelters for 2005,” one residents’ association president [told](http://mobile.philly.com/beta?wss=/philly/news&id=337333501%20) the *Philadelphia Inquirer*.
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> **In Los Angeles**, higher-tech bus shelters — which will display real-time arrival information — are currently slated for 15 stops. But the inclusion of USB charging ports and LED lights aren’t doing the trick for critical bus regulars, who say bringing more **adequate shade** in sunny California to bus stops throughout LA is more important than dressing up 15 of them.
>
> ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Oct-2015/088o.png)In the *Los Angeles Times’* opinion section, Carren Jao [notes](http://www.latimes.com/opinion/livable-city/la-ol-garcetti-great-streets-bus-shelter-shade-20151008-story.html) that Santa Monica’s bus shelter overhaul a year ago implemented a customizable design depending on location, bringing shade exactly where the sun will shine most harshly during hours of high shelter use.
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> Like Philly, LA has an ad revenue-sharing contract, but making a splash with a few shelter upgrades is a fail, according to Jao, who argues, “What’s convenient for the city of Los Angeles — or what’s new and blog-worthy for that matter — doesn’t always translate to what’s best for the transit riders of Los Angeles.”
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> *(Marielle Mondon is an editor and freelance journalist in Philadelphia. Her work has appeared in* Philadelphia City Paper*,* Wild Magazine*, and* PolicyMic*. This piece was originally posted at [NextCity.org](https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/new-bus-shelters-philadelphia-los-angeles-designs-digital).) Prepped for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.*
>
> -cw
>
> CityWatch
>
> Vol 13 Issue 88
>
> Pub: Oct 30, 2015
>
> {module \[1177\]}

  - [  Previous Article **Absentee Ballot Promo for Calabasas City Council Race Raises Serious Questions and … a Few Eyebrows!** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9864:absentee-ballot-promo-for-calabasas-city-council-race-raises-serious-questions-and-a-few-eyebrows&catid=16)
- [  Next Article **Imagine Los Angeles, One End of Town to the Other in 8 Minutes!** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9866:imagine-los-angeles-one-end-of-town-to-the-other-in-8-minutes&catid=16)
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